Dandelion Article Archive

Dandelion owners Alan and Christine McEwen also run Sledgehammer Engineering Press from their base in Cowling, North Yorkshire. The company specialises in publishing high quality books about Britain’s industrial history. A selection of extracts and articles are published below.

Seeking The Peak District’s Millstone Curiosities

By Alan McEwen: On the roasting-hot, sun-kissed Friday of 25 June 2012, my wife Christine and I found ourselves ensconced high above a long abandoned Millstone Grit quarry or ‘delph hole’ at Burbage Edge in Derbyshire’s Peak District. Looking down over a virtual moonscape of Ice-age boulders – ‘erratics’ – among the thousands of gigantic and small gritstone boulders, we could discern here and there a number of gritstone enigmas…”

Roamin’ in the Gloamin’ for Scottish Industrial Treasures

By Alan McEwen: “Regrettably, there aren’t many surviving stationary steam engines in Scotland. However, several years ago I had the good fortune by way of an invitation from the mill's owners to carry out a survey on a most interesting and relatively large horizontal mill steam engine. The horizontal single cylinder condensing engine was most likely constructed by Carmichael of Dundee in circa 1860…"

Monk’s Bridge, near Rimington, Clitheroe

An extract from "Jaggermen’s Bridges on Packhorse Trails" by Christine McEwen: “Our regular research pointed the way to a fine example of a packhorse bridge located in a beautiful, secluded glen between the historic, picturesque villages of Downham and Rimington in the Ribble Valley near Clitheroe…”

Oxygrains Packhorse Bridge, near Rishworth in the Ryburn Valley

An extract from "Jaggermen’s Bridges on Packhorse Trails" by Christine McEwen: “The old packhorse bridge spanning Oxygrains Brook was our destination, for we wanted to carry out one of our bridge-spotting sessions and to take some photographs for my book. As we set off to clump over the frozen tundra of the barren moorland…”

An extract from "Jaggermen’s Bridges on Packhorse Trails" by Christine McEwen: “Thorns Gill Bridge is undoubtedly one of the most charming examples of Dales packhorse bridges and is in the form of a crudely-built semi-circular arch which springs from the natural bedrock on either side of a deep chasm…”

Packhorse Bridges in Enchanting Wycoller, near Colne, Lancashire

An extract from "Jaggermen’s Bridges on Packhorse Trails" by Christine McEwen: “Wycoller is renowned for its seven stone bridges that span Wycoller Beck, three being unique specimens of the bridge builders art. On entering Wycoller the first of these three bridges, the packhorse bridge can be seen spanning the beck a cockstride downstream of a cobble stone-bottomed ford…”

Penn Brother’s Providence Ironworks, Cradley Heath, Staffordshire

An extract from “Historic Steam Boiler Explosions” by Alan McEwen: “Penn Brother’s, Providence Ironworks was established in 1839 and had become one of the most prominent ironworking factories in Cradley Heath. The firm was a major employer of the town’s work force and was built on a small piece of rough land…”